Dealing with Seasickness

Planning to embark on a cruise with someone a little less comfortable traveling in water than you are? Or maybe you get a little nauseous whenever you take your hands off the helm. That’s most likely a manifestation of seasickness.

Seasick.Image Credit: Oceanographer's Choice.

Don’t be fooled. Seasickness is not all that harmless. Although a lot of people think of it only as a condition that can bring about nausea and vertigo, it can actually be serious enough and result in dehydration.

Yes, seasickness can be incapacitating, especially since boats are capable of an extensive range of motions, from heaving and rolling to pitching and yawing. That being said, how can  you enjoy the cool waters and deal with seasickness at the same time? At the very least, you should prepare yourself with these handy tips just in case you or someone in your yacht experiences a bout of seasickness.

• Preoccupying the mind with activities such as taking the helm of the boat and steering. This will give the person something else to focus on. Also, because this will give him the power to command the course of the boat, he gets to anticipate every movement of the vessel. This little discovery may even lead to the discovery of the inner boater in him!
• Medication for seasickness is readily available. Dramamine and Bonine are popular meds and should be taken before setting sail. Scopolamine transdermal, which can only be bought by prescription, is another effective medication. Cinnarizine or stugeron, sold only in the UK, is another effective med, but not in the United States.
• Keeping the eyes targeted at a fixed point in the horizon or at the shore can also help. You can also lie down on your back and try to close your eyes. Position yourself at the center of the boat, where the movement is most stable.
• Going below is the last thing a person with seasickness should do. Although this may sound like a good idea in principle, it will lead to more imbalance. While the eyes and everything else will feel stable underwater, the actual motion will only increase the level of seasickness.
• If the person is trying to avoid medication, there are home remedies that may prove to be useful. Anything with ginger, such as ginger snaps, ginger tea, and ginger ale can help deal with a topsy-turvy stomach while in mid-sea. Flat soda and crackers may also help.

While seasickness is a problem for most people the moment they step on a moving boat, it is actually possible to be immunized through repeated exposure. Who knows, with the right amount of excitement and fun while sailing, seasickness might just go away.